Promote This: Justin Longorio, Melville & Rachel Hanson
Promote This is a long-running NadaMucho.com feature wherein we write about emerging and unsigned bands. Send submissions to @nadamucho with hash tag #PromoteThis.
Justin Longorio – “ReTweeter”
A song complaining about someone who can’t come up with an original idea.? De rigueur. OK, so its just gonna be electro-tapping and strummed electric guitar with just a hint of distortion, for three and a half minutes, huh? And now some monotone vocal to go with the monotonous music? This one got old three words into the chorus and kept stubbornly coming at me like a indie-open-mic zombie. Relentless. – Abe Beeson
Listen to “ReTweeter”
Melville – “Forked Tongue”
In September of 2013, the four-piece Portland band Melville released their debut EP Maquette, a self-proclaimed indie rock album of six tracks meant to serve as “a starting point—an outline to be expanded upon,” according to their bio. Honestly, it sounds like just that: a rough draft. The featured single, “Forked Tongue,” carries the same basic beat and background music all the way through, and the vocals, while consistent and at least on key, blur together quite a bit. Might take a few listens to get down what he’s really saying, which isn’t great for capturing your listeners. Personally, I liked the instrumental track “Einleitung” much more. – Adrienne Pollock
Listen to “Forked Tongue”
Rachel Hanson – “Darlin”
This folksy, acoustic performance of “Darlin’” by Wisconsin’s own Rachel Hanson is a warm slice of honest-to-God Americana. Her video is intimate and gives a good sense of what it would be like to see Hanson in a live setting. Hanson’s got a sturdy voice but the way she forces herself into a mumbling alt-country, Mumford-y area is distracting. She pulls it off but leaves you wondering if she’s holding back a little. Regardless, this is a sweet little ditty. – Cameron Deuel